Heart of the Tin Man
by bubblesfontaine
Summary: In the final year of his life, Ted Kord has a difficult decision to make. It's been two years since he walked away from being the Blue Beetle and received a heart transplant. His new heart was failing, and he had given up on life until a chance meeting with an old flame ignites a new spark in Ted. He wants to live. He wants her. Should he want her? Are they better off as friends?


CHAPTER ONE

_January_

_Ted Kord was fidgeting as he sat on the couch in Dr. Pierce's office. He recalled from his previous experiences with his heart that the news would not be good. It had been two years since he left the Justice League and survived a risky artificial heart transplant. Ted also knew that this model would not last. _

_When Dr. Pierce entered her office, she could not meet his eyes. Ted had a feeling that he was out of options._

"_I'm sorry." she said._

_"Don't apologize Maggie, you've done everything you can. How much time do I have left?" _

"_Well, that depends, the heart is still functioning, and we shouldn't rule out the possibility of another heart transplant, maybe a human heart?"_

"_I'm a lousy risk for a donor."_

_"Would you be open to another mechanical heart? A longer lasting model?"_

_"I've been thinking about inventing something, but I don't really want to spend what's left of my life in a lab, he said with a sad smile. What happens if I do nothing?"_

"_If we do nothing? You have, maybe a year. Please Ted, would you at least talk to someone? You're going through a difficult time maybe a professional could help you gain perspective." Maggie wrote on a notepad and handed Ted a piece of paper with a name and an address._

"_Perspective? Perspective on what? What to do when I die? Should I stroll? Skip? or run into the light?"_

"_For once in your life can you be serious? I know this is hard, the news isn't good but it's not over yet. You're still alive and maybe doctor Lindstrom can help you figure out your next move or how to cope with-."_

_"My inevitable demise? Sure Dr. Pierce if you think this guy can give me some insight, I'll see him." he said while heading for the door._

_"Ted?"_

"_Yes?"_

_"Please consider trying to help yourself. You're a brilliant man. I'm sure if you put your mind to it you can come up with something."_

"_Maybe the old Ted could have but honestly Maggie, I'm tired of fighting this. But I will talk to this therapist if you think it will help."_

_Later that week Ted found himself reclining on Dr. Lindstrom's sofa._

"_Ted Kord, it's an honor to meet you."_

"_Oh I bet you say that to all your patients."_

"_I do, it's part of the script but with you I really mean it. Your bio is an interesting read filled with amazing accomplishments. You were High School Valedictorian at age 12?"_

"_Yes, I spent my childhood acing tests, eating cookies and dodging bullies."_

"_You received your first undergraduate degree from MIT at 15." _

"_Longest three years of my life, everybody I knew was getting laid, but no one ever got drunk enough to bang the fat kid." _

"_Then you received a master's degree from Harvard Business school, that was an unexpected move."_

"_It was my dad's idea, he was hell bent on monetizing my genius."_

"_After that you went back to MIT and earned a doctorate in biological engineering, where the paper you wrote on molecular nanotech was nominated for the Nobel prize!"_

"_Always a bridesmaid never the bride."_

"_You have a lot to be proud of Mr. Kord, can I call you Ted?"_

"_Sure, it would be weird if you called me Bud or Willie. Look Doc, I see what you're trying to do, and I appreciate the effort. You're trying to get me to feel better about dying by feeling good about everything I've done. And I do, I feel great about everything I've accomplished in my professional life."_

"_What about your personal life?"_

_Ted responded by giving Dr. Lindstrom a cynical laugh while squirming in his chair._

"_I would love to tell you that my personal life is a dumpster fire or a spectacular shit show, but I can't cause its dull, empty and uneventful. My work literally is my life, there is nothing else."_

_Dr. Lindstrom shook his head and scribbled on his notepad after looking up at Ted and noticing his discomfort he decided to push things farther._

"_Do you find that troubling?" Dr. Lindstrom asked._

"_I didn't before, but now that I'm at the end its starting to bug me a little."_

_"What about your family and friends do you have a support system to help you through this?"_

_"No, not really, well, I guess I have Michael, he's my best friend. He's still in the League though, that keeps him busy."_

_"How did he take the news?"_

_"About as well as to be expected."_

_"Your parents?"_

_"My mom died when I was a kid, dad died two years ago."_

_"What about a significant other?"_

_"Nope, no wife, no girlfriend."_

"_Ever been in love?"_

_Ted paused and considered Dr. Lindstorms question. His mind raced through all the women he had dated in his past. There were times he felt like he might be in love, but he couldn't definitively say he had ever loved any of his exes. For Ted, his research always came first._

_"Let me get this straight, you're thirty-six years old and you have never been in love?" asked Dr. Lindstrom._

_"Sometimes I convince myself that it doesn't matter. That I'm happy with my work and my company but when I'm not busy I think the loneliness will kill me long before my heart does."_

_"Now we're getting somewhere. I want you to take this time to reflect on your life and your relationships. Reach out to old friends. You would feel better if you weren't going through this alone."_

_Ted felt a wave of anxiety creep into his chest. Dr. Lindstrom's suggestion made him very uncomfortable. He felt his humorous façade crumbling in the face of his reality. He was a proud, independent man. To him, the idea of revealing the seriousness of his illness to anyone but Michael was unfathomable._

_"Well doc, this has been loads of fun, but I've got a meeting first thing tomorrow morning in New York. I hope it's okay if I cut this session short."_

"_That's fine Ted but I'm billing you for the whole hour."_

_He laughed, collected his things and quickly left Dr. Lindstrom's office. Fighting the cold Chicago air he climbed into a taxi and headed to the airport. _

_The morning dragged into late afternoon. Ted's mind was not on the meeting. He kept drifting through his past and wondered how his life had become so empty. He knew he should be happy to have gained a small but profitable company, but he thought to himself, what did it matter? He would be dead in less than a year. Before he realized it, he was standing in front of a small coffee shop in Manhattan. Inwardly shrugging he went inside for a cup of coffee and to contemplate his next move. He seated himself at a small table in the back after ordering a double expresso. Ted took a napkin and wrote the names of all the women he had dated. As soon as he wrote her name, he heard laughter from a small group of women who had just stepped inside. He recognized her laugh immediately. The way she tossed back her head in abandon, her smooth caramel skin and beautiful smile. It had been over a year since he had seen her and before he could chicken out, he decided to approach her. Ted stood a few feet behind her with a big stupid smile on his face._

_"Beatriz?" he whispered trying to clear his throat. When she turned to face him, he did not know what to expect. There were no angry words when he last saw her, no tears, no declarations of blame. After he left the agency, they quietly went their separate ways._

_"Oh my God Ted!" she squealed dragging him into a warm embrace. "It's so nice to see you!"_

_Ted had been holding his breath, and he exhaled as soon as she embraced him._

_"It's great to see you too Bea, you look incredible. What are you doing in New York?" _

"_I live here now. I left the League about 3 months after you did."_

_Her news took him by surprise._

_"Well uh-what about Tora? Is she still active?"_

_"Yep, and still seeing Guy, you know how I feel about that jerk." _

"_Do you have time to join me for a cup of coffee?" He asked, shifting nervously and stuffing his hands into his pockets._

"_I would love to catch up Ted, but I can't right now I was getting this to go, I'm working on a photo shoot just up the street."_

_Disappointed that she could not join him, he realized that he missed her and desperately wanted to know what was going on in her life._

"_Can I at least get that for you and walk you back to your photo shoot?" _

"_Sure, that sounds great. Hey girls, head back to the set and tell Ricky I'll be there in 10, he paid for the coffee and Beatriz thanked him with a smile. "You look good Ted, what have you been up to?"_

_He thought briefly about telling her the truth, that his heart is failing, and he had less than a year to live but knowing her as he did, he realized it was a bad idea. Ted relaxed and decided to enjoy whatever time she would give him._

_"I escaped from a business meeting to grab a cup of coffee."_

"_How is your company doing?" she asked. _

_"Business is great but sometimes it gets pretty hectic, New York has been a nice change of pace." Feeling the need to change the subject he diverted the conversation to her. "So, you went back into modeling?" he asked._

_She shook her head and giggled. "No, Ted I'm too old for magazine covers, in the modeling world you are way over the hill at 30. I'm assistant creative director at Shade magazine."_

_"Wow, that's great!"_

"_I heard you moved home, to Chicago, right?"_

_"Yes, it's good to be home but I miss the old days. I miss being a part the team, we were a force to be reckoned with." _

"_Legends." She added while smiling and playfully punching his arm._

"_Why did you leave the League Beatriz?" _

_She paused before answering. Beatriz fought hard to keep her face from betraying what she felt inside. Determined to keep the truth from him she kept her answer vague. _

"_Working for Shade is a great opportunity, what about you? Do you like being a civilian?" _

_"I won't lie, it was difficult at first, but I'm literally living the dream, it feels good to be in the driver's seat. I'll bet you love living in New York, there's so much to do and see."_

"_It beats the heck out of Rio, but I wouldn't know much about socializing, work keeps me pretty busy."_

_"I'm sure you've made time for a social life. Are you seeing anyone?"_

_She smiled at him, and his heart skipped a beat._

_"Nope still single, I took a page from your book and married my job." She replied._

_For reasons unknown to him, he breathed a sigh of relief at knowing she was not involved with anyone._

_"That's unlike you, as I recall you always found time for fun."_

_"Fun doesn't pay the bills Ted, we can't all be millionaires like you."_

_"Believe me, money does not equal fun."_

_"Come on, handsome, rich guy like you? You must have women lining up around the block."_

_"Obviously you're confusing me with Michael, I've always been a one-woman man."_

_"Money hasn't changed you?"_

_"Nope, I'm still a lonely workaholic."_

_After he spoke, he instantly regretted it. Ted noticed a brief frown capture her beautiful face. The pair walked in silence before a few awkward words tumbled from Ted's mouth. _

"_Hey Bea, I'm sorry about-."_

_"No, don't apologize," she said cutting him off and taking a long sip of coffee. "What happened between us is water under the bridge and things turned out well for the both of us."_

_They arrived at the photo shoot and four people ran up to Beatriz shouting frantically._

"_Beatriz! where have you been? Ricky is having a meltdown because Victoria is refusing to wear that yellow ensemble, he picked out for the last few frames!"_

_"I can't say I blame her that thing is hideous and yellow is definitely not her color. Tell Victoria that we'll only take a few shots in the yellow get up and she can pick out whatever she wants for the last few frames."_

"_But Ricky said-"_

_"I will deal with Ricky! Now get moving we can't afford to lose another second of sunlight."_

_The small crowd immediately dispersed._

"_Ted, it really was great catching up with you but as you can see, Rome is burning."_

_Grabbing her elbow, he guided her to face him._

_"After giving them hell can you spare time for dinner with an old friend?"_

_Her face softened at the request._

_"I would love to have dinner with you."_

"_How about tonight?"_

_She paused and bit her lip before answering._

"_I really would love to but tonight I'm babysitting models at an industry event. If you're not doing anything, maybe you can be my plus one. We're entertaining the hottest models from New York's top agencies who knows you might get lucky." she joked._

_"Hey if it means I get to spend at least some part of the evening with you then I'm in!"_

_"Great. It's at the Biltmore. Meet me at the bar at 830. I will try my best to be there on time. Give me your number and I'll text you if I'm running late."_

_Ted took her phone and handed her his. _

_"No chance I'm missing this." He whispered as he typed his number into her phone._

_This action earned a warm smile from Beatriz. When he handed her phone back to her, she pulled him in for a quick hug and walked away before he could respond. Ted watched her disappear into a crowd of production assistants and admired how she easily took charge. _

_Beatriz sat quietly in her office reviewing the photos from today's shoot. She was so engrossed in her work that she did not hear Ricky enter and was not aware of his presence until he sat in the chair beside her desk. Ricky leaned into her and propped his chin on his elbow while giving her a smile._

"_Go away Ricky." She said without looking up from her computer screen._

"_Beatriz DaCosta, you know I'm not going anywhere until you tell me about that delicious piece of man cake you picked up at the coffee shop."_

"_I didn't pick him up, he's an old friend and I wouldn't exactly call him man cake."_

"_That's not what I heard. Nessa said he's smokin hot with broad shoulders, blue eyes and-."_

"_I never said he was unattractive I just don't think of Ted as man cake."_

"_Oh, so his name is Ted! Give me more! Come on Bea, we've had to put up with your mood swings all day, I'm not leaving here until you spill the tea."_

_Beatriz sighed. Ricky was right, she had been moody all day, she tried to concentrate on work but all she could think about was how conflicted she felt about seeing Ted. She was initially very happy to see him. She missed him terribly but when she was honest with herself, she admitted that she was still angry with him for leaving without an explanation._

"_His name is Ted, Ted Kord. We were friends, we dated, it didn't work out, end of story."_

"_Wait a minute! Ted Kord? As in Kord Industries? You dated Ted Freakin Kord? The man's a tech genius!"_

"_I know Ricky, I know. Can we move on now? What do you think of this shot?" she said while pointing to her screen. Ricky ignored her and continued his line of questioning._

"_A tech genius? You are full of surprises lady. All this time I thought you were into bad boys and idiots."_

"_Bad boys no, idiots yes, I like idiots. Idiots are less complicated."_

"_So when are you seeing him again?"_

"_He's in town on business. I invited him to the gala tonight."_

"_Ooh so I get to meet him?"_

"_I wouldn't count on it, Ted's a busy man."_

"_Look at you, trying to act like you don't care, you know you want to see him again."_

_As he was speaking, she saw an incoming email message from a ghost from her past. The contents pulled her out of the conversation completely. Beatriz realized that in the scheme of things Ted was a minor annoyance. The email reminded her that she had much bigger fish to fry._

_Ted sat alone in his hotel room obsessing over what he should say to Beatriz. He was looking forward to spending time with her this evening, but he also knew that there was unfinished business between them. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind he focused on how great it was to see her. He realized she had changed. He could find little evidence of the wild free-spirited girl he had known during his time with the League. He wondered what had changed her and hoped that the end of their relationship had not been responsible for her new attitude. He missed her. There was a level of comfort with her that he had never experienced with any other woman. Not having her in his life anymore was one of his biggest regrets._

_ Ted arrived at the bar ten minutes early and ordered a bourbon on the rocks to ease his nerves. He didn't understand why he was so nervous, he had known Beatriz for several years and they were great friends long before their ill-fated love affair. He didn't comprehend why seeing her was so important, but he felt he needed to explain why he left and neglected to contact her. Ted was so deep in thought he didn't notice her when she quietly entered the bar and walked up to where he was sitting. She leaned into him and whispered in his ear._

"_Hello stranger want to buy a girl a drink?'_

_He smiled and turned his head delighted to find her inches from his face. His instinct was to lean in and kiss her, but he realized she would not welcome any advance at this point._

"_Bartender give the lady whatever she wants and put it on my tab."_

_Beatriz sat down and placed her elbow on the bar smiling at the bartender._

"_I'll have what he's having but make mine a double."_

"_Rough day?"_

"_You don't know the half of it."_

"_Well, you look fantastic." _

_Beatriz emptied her glass and stood. Playfully she struck model poses to show off her beautiful knee length black strapless dress. Ted appreciated the way the dress accented her curves. It was both elegant and sexy drawing attention to her model perfect make-up and her wild curly hair._

"_Hey bar keep, I would like another round for me and my friend here." She shouted._

"_You're hitting the drinks pretty hard Bea; do you want to talk about it?" Ted knew this woman, he knew that her first line of defense against stress was booze. Lots of booze. Although they had partied hard in the past, she was at heart a very guarded person who only distributed information to friends on a need to know basis._

"_I don't want to be here Ted." She groaned._

"_Then let's get out of here and grab dinner. If you want to talk about what's bothering you, I'm still a good listener."_

"_Nah, I can't, my presence here is mandatory. Don't worry about me I'm fine. Let's enjoy ourselves, have some of that fun you were talking about earlier."_

_Ted was delighted that her mood had changed. When he saw her earlier, she was all business. The drinks had obviously loosened her up and she seemed more like the woman he knew in the past. Beatriz gave him a genuine smile, but her eyes met someone or something that caused her to frown and once again empty her drink. Before he could ask her, what was wrong a handsome well-dressed man walked up to them and casually put his arm around her. Ted was unsettled as he saw her visibly stiffen. _

"_Beatriz DaCosta! You are every bit as lovely today as you were the first day, I laid eyes on you!" _

"_Hello Enrique." She said while signaling the bartender for another drink. "I heard rumors you might make an appearance tonight."_

"_Of course I'm here, Shade can't have a party without me. Who is your friend?" He asked while looking at Ted with just a hint of disdain._

"_Enrique Esparza this is Ted Kord. Ted, Enrique."_

"_Ted Kord as in Kord Industries, right? I'm familiar with your company."_

"_I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage Mr. Esparza I have never heard of you."_

"_Obviously we don't run in the same social circles but please call me Enrique."_

"_Enrique is a fashion photographer Ted." Beatriz added._

"_A world-renowned photographer I owe my early success to Ms. DaCosta, in the old days she was my muse." Enrique added._

_He smiled wickedly at Beatriz. Playing it cool she looked away. Ted did not like this guy. He really didn't like how uncomfortable he was making her feel. He noticed that Enrique was whispering something into Bea's ear and decided that it was time rescue her. Taking her free hand, he rose from the bar and pulled her close to him._

"_Well Enrique it was nice meeting you, but I can't allow you to monopolize my date."_

"_My apologizes Ted, I didn't realize that the two of you were on a date."_

_Beatriz wrapped both arms around Ted's waist and placed her head lovingly on his broad shoulder._

"_In our defense, you didn't ask." she uttered._

_In a war of wills Enrique did not break eye contact with her._

"_You two enjoy your evening and don't forget to check out my exhibit. Those hot shots I took of Beatriz will be the talk of the town." Enrique added._

_Ted paid the bartender and took Beatriz by the hand. Walking in silence he led her into a quiet corridor then turned to face her and his eyes implored her to speak._

"_I owe you an explanation." She said._

"_You don't owe me anything Bea, but I am wondering why that jerk upset you. You've been acting strange since you got here."_

"_I know, I know. It's those damned photos! I can't believe the asshole is putting them on display."_

"_Weren't you a swimsuit model before you got your powers?"_

"_Yes, but I was really young back then, and some of those pictures are more than a little risqué."_

"_What's the big deal about a few scantily clad photographs?"_

"_Old swimsuit photos don't bother me, but this is different."_

"_How?"_

"_These are nudes and semi-nudes, Ted I'm not that person anymore. I worked hard to get where I am now, and people are finally taking me seriously. I was reckless and stupid back then it's an embarrassing chapter in my past and I don't want my boss and my Co-workers to see me like that."_

_Ted felt bad for her, he understood her need to move away from her past, start over and live a different life._

"_Have you seen the ones he's putting in the exhibit?"_

"No, I have no idea which ones he's putting out there but there's nothing _I can do about it now; the exhibit starts in two hours."_

"_Maybe you can talk to Enrique, tell him what you told me. The guy is a little slimy, but that doesn't mean he's heartless."_

"_I tried Ted! He doesn't care! Enrique only cares about money and the spotlight. He's a talented photographer but he's difficult. No one wants to work with him anymore, his career has hit the skids and he's trying to cash in on my past to make a buck."_

"_We have to find a way to stop this." said Ted._

"_I appreciate the effort, but I don't see how you can fix this, did I mention that the show opens in two hours? Besides, this isn't your problem Ted it's mine, forget what I told you and enjoy the party." _

_Ignoring her plea he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts._

"_I have an idea, let me handle this. I haven't worked out the details yet, but I need you to lay off the booze go out there and do your job while I make a few phone calls." _

_Seeing the familiar determination in his furrowed brow she realized the futility of attempting to talk him out of trying to solve her problem. Ted had always been a fixer, whenever someone he cared about faced an unpleasant dilemma, he became laser focused on helping them find a way out. She took a deep breath and straightened her dress. _

"_Well, I have at least two hours before the whole world gets to gawk at my goods, there's no point in feeling sorry for myself." With that, Beatriz pulled her shoulders back and smiled sadly at him before mustering her confidence and heading back into the party. She worked the crowd as if she didn't have care in the world. Ted noticed that she was drinking a lot champagne. On the outside she looked strong and confident, but he knew her, he knew that on the inside she was crumbling but Ted had a plan._

_After bribing a waiter he found himself in the room that housed Enrique's photography exhibit. As much as he hated the guy, he had to admit that his photographs were beautiful. After turning a corner, he stopped and marveled at three wall sized black and white photos of Beatriz. The pictures were taken over ten years ago, long before he had met her it surprised him how little she had aged. One photo featured her nude with her back turned to the viewer looking seductively over her shoulder. The next photo took his breath away she was topless, it was a side view, with her head thrown back in ecstasy. The last photo was his favorite, the shot was taken from above. Beatriz was lying on a bed with her hair surrounding her perfect face. The white men's dress shirt she was wearing highlighted her beautiful dark skin, it was the most seductive to him because it showed one of her rare moments of vulnerability._

"_You are a lucky man Mr. Kord."_

_Enrique was standing slightly behind him. Ted glanced at him quickly, his eyes left the man and once again became fixated on his favorite photograph of Beatriz._

"_How much?" He asked Enrique._

"_For the photos?"_

"_Yes. For the photos, how much for the entire set?" _

"_I'm afraid your girlfriend's pictures are not for sale." he replied smugly._

"_Not for sale, huh? You think these pictures are your ticket back into the spotlight?"_

"_Something like that. Come on, Ted you're a businessman surely you must_

_understand-."_

"_I understand that everything has a price."_

"_What is she like Ted? I've had a lot of models, but I could never seal the deal with her."_

_Ignoring his crude remarks Ted pressed him for a price on the photos._

"_I will give you two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash for all three and you will relinquish the rights to any other photos you have of her in your possession."_

"_That is a generous offer Mr. Kord, but I don't think I can-."_

"_I will give you the cash right now and you will take those down before your show starts and maybe, just maybe I'll resist the urge to break your face."_

_Enrique looked into Ted's eyes and knew he could easily make good on his threat._

"_How do I know you will pay me? My show starts in twenty minutes." _

"_Go to the office. There's a representative from Kord Industries waiting there with your agent and a briefcase with the cash and a contract. You will sign the contract and we will never speak of this again. Oh, and Enrique, stay away from her." Ted grabbed a glass of champagne on his way out, smiling to himself he took and sip and searched for Beatriz. When he found her, she was sitting at the bar with a model and drinking._

"_Beatriz?"_

"_Hey Ted, I was looking for you, where did you go?"_

"_I took care of that matter we discussed earlier."_

_Beatriz tilted her head not fully understanding what he meant. The model she had been talking to was intoxicated and stared lustfully at Ted. Ted wasn't model handsome, he was handsome in an understated way. People had always remarked that his best feature was his entrancing blue eyes. His athletic shoulders spoke of strength and he had an underlying power that caused him to walk with purpose and authority. Many women found this quality attractive._

"_Beatriz", Nessa slurred, you're being rude, aren't you going to introduce me to your gorgeous friend?"_

"_Nessa, this is Ted. Ted, Nessa."_

_She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck when Beatriz stopped her._

"_No Nessa, you can look but don't touch."_

_Nessa looked back at Beatriz before giving Ted a smile._

"_You can't blame a girl for trying." she teased before walking away._

"_She's gone now can you tell me what you meant when you said you took care of the problem?"_

"_Your photos will not be in the exhibit."_

"_What? But how?" _

"_Let's just say Enrique realized it was in his best interest to re-build his career without you."_

_Beatriz smiled and stumbled into Ted's arms pressing her body into his, she gave him tight squeeze. _

"_Thank you, she whispered pulling him into a hug, I'm so happy I could kiss you."_

"_Then why don't you?" he challenged as he rested his hands gently on the small of her back._

_Beatriz hesitated then pulled out of the embrace far enough to where their lips were less than an inch apart. Ted leaned in and their lips met. But before it could get passionate Ricky Banks, the creative director of Shade loudly cleared his throat to get her attention._

"_Beatriz, I hate to interrupt your make-out session, but the boss was looking for you at the exhibit."_

"_Oh, I'm sorry Ricky I was-uh distracted."_

"_I can see that, who's your new boyfriend?"_

"_I'm Ted, Ted Kord." He said reaching out to shake Ricky's hand. _

_Ricky shook his hand and gave Beatriz a sly smile._

"_Ricky Banks. Now come on Bea, I can't cover for you all night."_

"_We should go." She said after grabbing her purse and swiftly leaving the bar. _

"_Hey Bea, do I have lipstick on my face?" Ted whispered while trying to keep up with her hurried pace. _

"_Yes Ted, Ricky interjected and it's NOT your shade. I would suggest a frosted pink." Ricky joked while handing Ted a napkin. Turning bright red he accepted the napkin and nervously attempted to wipe the lipstick from his face._

"_Your Co-worker has jokes." Ted muttered. Beatriz nodded and grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter who was rushing by._

_The exhibit was a success even without the risqué photos. The champagne was flowing, and Enrique kept his word by steering clear of Beatriz. As the night wore on, she became more intoxicated and less inhibited. Ted was enjoying her attention and affection until he noticed she had too much to drink. Putting his arm around her, he helped her out of the Biltmore and hailed a taxi. During the ride home, she rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. Ted didn't know where she lived and instructed the driver to take them to his hotel._

"_Bea, we're here."_

"_Huh? Hey Ted, it's Ted we're having fun, right?"_

_He laughed and paid the driver. After exiting the cab she took off her six-inch heels and danced on the sidewalk. Being a gentleman, he draped his jacket around her shoulders while escorting her into the hotel lobby. When they reached the elevator, she put her arms around him and planted soft kisses seductively behind his ear. Trying to ignore the pleasure she was giving him he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to his room. Keeping her steady, Ted fumbled with his key. He found it difficult to concentrate while her tongue was lightly tracing the outer edge of his ear. Before things got out of hand, he managed to open the door and guide her gently into his room._

"_Wow Ted! This place is great! Where's the bar?" she squealed shrugging his jacket to the floor and making a beeline for the bar._

"_I think we can both agree that you've probably had enough." He said exasperated by her insistence on having another drink. _

_Ignoring him she retrieved a bottle of scotch and poured a messy glass before it slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor shattering._

"_Oh, I'm so sorry, let me get a towel and clean that, I should clean that." She slurred._

"_Don't worry about it Bea, I've got it, be careful, I don't want you to cut your feet on the broken glass." While Ted was picking shards of glass from the carpet Beatriz was drinking a generous glass of scotch and dancing clumsily in the bedroom. He watched her in the doorway slightly amused by her antics until she attempted to unzip her dress and fell clumsily on the bed._

"_Hey, let me get that for you. I don't want you to get hurt." He said while rushing to help her stand._

_She turned her back to him, he unzipped the dress and slipped it from her body with ease._

"_Whew, that's much better. Now I gotta get this iron boob holder off the hooks but it keeps moving." She said as she wiggled and tugged at the hooks._

_Ted grabbed her arms and placed them gently at her side._

"_I can handle this for you too just relax."_

"_Oh Ted, that's so sweet." She giggled._

_After he relieved her of her bra, she boldly turned to face him, and he couldn't keep his eyes off her beautiful body. Reaching for his shirt she pulled him into a kiss. Ted was deeply conflicted. He knew she was drunk but she was pushing his buttons. Beatriz was a beautiful, sexy woman, their physical relationship was always intense. It would be so easy to take her as he had many times before, being intimate with her would be like coming home. In the end, it wasn't much of a battle, his conscious won._

"_Hey, he whispered as she planted light kisses on his neck. Why don't you lie down, and I'll get you a glass of water?"_

_Resting on the bed and leaning back on her elbows she smiled seductively at him._

"_Sounds good, she purred, I am thirsty." Beatriz stretched her arms and rested her head on the pillow._

_Looking at her, his mouth was dry. He swallowed hard, took a deep breath and headed to the bar to get her a glass of water. When he returned to the bedroom, she was asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently touched her face and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Knowing he couldn't leave her topless he dressed her in one of his shirts and tucked her into bed._

_Later, after taking a long cold shower Ted sat on the balcony thinking long and hard about his evening with Beatriz. In the past she drank to celebrate, to party and occasionally to drown her sorrows. Tonight was different. He loved being with her, but he wasn't blind, he could see that she was drinking heavily for a different reason. Even after the situation with Enrique was settled Beatriz continued to hit the bottle hard. Something was bothering her; his internal fixer was determined to find out what the problem was. Initially he thought that __**he**__ was the problem and wondered if squeezing himself into her life, even for one night was a good idea. Shoving those thoughts into the back of his mind he re-lived every kiss, every embrace before reminding himself once again that she was drunk and didn't know what she was doing. Ted recalled that this wasn't the first time Beatriz had gotten drunk and ended up in his bed. The difference is this time __**he**__ stayed sober. This time as hard as it was, he had made the right decision and walked away before making love to her. Tonight felt good. He thought to himself. As frustrated as he was with her behavior he had to admit, he felt alive, their chemistry was still there. Undeniable. With death looming at his door there was nothing he could do about it._

"_What could I really offer her? he said out loud. "Six months? Maybe a year if I'm lucky." The best thing to do, the kind thing is to let her go. They had tonight, having her in his arms even briefly was an unexpected gift._

_Ted woke before the alarm and spent a few minutes watching Beatriz sleep. Not wanting to wake her he slipped quietly from the bedroom and ordered a pot of coffee from room service. Minutes after it arrived, she appeared in the doorway drawn from sleep by the smell of fresh coffee. She held her head trying to suppress the painful consequences of last night's drinking binge._

"_Morning Beatriz." He said smugly while taking a sip of coffee._

"_Yeah, it's morning all right. What happened last night?"_

"_You got seriously wasted and I brought you here, to my hotel. Coffee?"_

"_Um, yes, please. What happened to my clothes? Did you? Did we?"_

"_Yes, I undressed you and no we did not have sex. Do you still take it with cream and sugar?"_

_She nodded silently as he poured a cup for her and added cream and sugar. Beatriz picked up the coffee and took a long sip purposely avoiding Ted's eyes._

"_Well, this isn't awkward at all." He said trying to lighten the mood._

_Beatriz covered her eyes then ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her head was killing her and the longer she sat there the more she remembered last night's behavior and her embarrassment was too much to bear._

"_Look, where are my clothes? I've got a meeting this afternoon."_

"_On a Saturday?"_

_Beatriz paused before answering._

"_The magazine business isn't a regular nine-to-five operation." After rising from the table, she searched the room. "Where are my clothes Ted?" she shouted. _

"_I hung your dress in the bedroom closet and your bra is on top of the bureau."_

_She rushed into the bedroom frantically gathering her things and clenching her fists, Ted followed her. _

"_Bea, I don't understand, why you're so upset? We made out a little, it's not like it's the first time we ever-."_

_It was a good thing that Ted's reflexes were still sharp, he narrowly missed the stiletto heel that Beatriz had flung at his head._

"_I woke up naked!" she shouted._

"_You still had your underwear."_

"_What gave you the right to undress me and bring me back to your hotel room? Did you think you'd get lucky? Sure, why not? That's the way it's always been! Get Beatriz liquored up and she'll put out!"_

"_Now you're being unfair!"_

"_Unfair? You took my clothes off! You don't get to do that anymore!"_

"_Why were you drinking so much last night?" he asked not realizing that his question would only make her angrier._

"_None of your goddamn business!" She replied as she yanked her dress from the hanger. _

"_I'm only trying to help, something is obviously bothering you."_

"_Really? Why would it bother me that you stripped me naked!"_

"_Hey, I didn't do it because I wanted to see you naked. I don't want to see you naked. Wait a minute, what am I saying of course I wanted to see you naked. Who doesn't want to see you naked?" Ted rambled when he was nervous. "What I'm trying to say is it wasn't my intent! You were having trouble taking the dress off, and I helped you, that's it, scouts honor!"_

"_You were never a boy scout!"_

"_No, but I wanted to be."_

"_This isn't a joke Ted!"_

"_I'm sorry, you know I have a bad habit of making jokes when I'm uncomfortable. I didn't mean to be invasive, you had a lot to drink, I was wondering if everything is okay with you." Ted sat defeated on the edge of the bed watching Beatriz twist and turn trying to zip up her dress. She was ignoring him and continued to struggle with her dress. He thought about offering to help her, but he could tell that she was still angry with him. It was hard for him to suppress his laughter while she wiggled, reached and stretched. He lost the battle when a loud ripping sound emanated from the dress. Beatriz had ripped the zipper away from the top half of her dress. She wanted to hold on to her anger but when she recognized the humor in the situation, she found herself laughing along with him._

"_This isn't funny Ted." She giggled. I spent a week's salary on this dress."_

"_Listen, there's a tailor close by. Give me the dress and I will get the zipper fixed. Why don't you order breakfast while I'm out?"_

"_Well, I guess I can't go home like this."_

"_That would be a hell of a fashion statement."_

_Ted turned his back to her to give her privacy while she removed the dress and slipped back into his shirt to cover her body._

"_Ted?"_

_He turned to face her as she handed him the dress._

"_I'm sorry I blew up at you and tried to hit you with my shoe." She said._

_Ted chuckled and picked up the shoe and handed it to her._

"_No worries, I should be back in an hour, make yourself at home." _

_After Ted left Beatriz felt guilty about the way she had treated him. Deep down she was angrier with herself than she was with him. Inviting him to the party seemed like a good idea at the time. She thought she was over him and there was nothing left between them but friendship. But she remembered how easy it had been to touch him and kiss him. Last night it seemed as if they had never been apart. Letting her guard down the first time had been difficult for her and he had proven to her that she could not trust him with her heart. They had known each other a long time and had been the best of friends long before their short time as lovers. She missed him; she missed all her friends from the League. Her friendship with Ted had been fun and easy, she didn't want to let that go. _

_Ted was confused. He paced nervously in the tailor's lobby trying to make sense of what had happened this morning. He knew from experience that Beatriz was a complicated woman. She had a rough childhood that made her mistrustful of others. Still, it hurt that she no longer trusted him, but Ted realized that the decision he made two years ago put him in this position. Trust did not come easy for her and he knew that once that trust was violated it would be almost impossible to win it back. He would do anything to change the way things had ended between them_. At the time he was sure that he had made the right decision. But seeing firsthand how much his choices had hurt her he felt nothing but intense regret. _Ted paid for the repairs on the dress and hurried back to the hotel. He hesitated before opening the door with his key. _

"_Beatriz, it's me, is it okay to come in?"_

"_Yes, I'm decent."_

_When he came in, he was surprised by the trays lying around the room._

"_About the food, you were right I was starving. I was so nervous about that whole Enrique thing I didn't eat dinner last night."_

"_Looks like you ordered enough to feed an army."_

"_Just let me know how much I owe you for the dress and the food."_

"_Don't worry about it, I've got you covered." He said while handing her the dress._

"_How did you get it fixed so fast? She asked while examining the zipper. It doesn't look like I ripped it at all." Beatriz unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, and Ted hesitated before turning around. When his back was turned, he saw her reflection in the mirror and couldn't turn his eyes away from the way her strapless bra hugged her generous cleavage. Just before she caught him, he closed his eyes._

"_Is it safe to turn around now? I don't want to risk being hit by another one of your shoes."_

"_Oh, you're funny, maybe you should sell your company and become a full-time comedian. Would you help me with the zipper?" she joked with a smile recalling her earlier mishap. Ted returned her smile and zipped up the dress._

"_I don't have a meeting today, but I should head home, my roommate is probably wondering where I am."_

"_No problem, let me throw my things into a suitcase and I'll drop you off on my way to the airport."_

"_That sounds great."_

_Ted was quiet during the ride to her apartment. His usual wit had abandoned him and all he could think about was if or when he would see her again._

"_Hey, I really am sorry about overreacting this morning." She said._

"_No, I'm the one who should apologize I need to learn to respect your boundaries."_

"_Sheesh, you sound like a talk show host." She joked._

"_I did, didn't I?" They both laughed and Ted appreciated her for lightening the mood. _

"_Listen Ted, you're right, I did have too much to drink last night I tend to overdo it when I have too much on my mind."_

"_And I crossed the line, what and how much you drink is your business. I must ask though did it have anything to do with how I left things between us? Is it me? I'm sorry about what happened, if you give me a chance I can explain-."_

"_There's no need for explanations. No point in getting all wrapped up in the ins and outs of how and why we went wrong. You want to know what was really bothering me last night?"_

"_Yes, I do. I really want to know."_

"_You were one of my closet friends Ted and when we crossed over into something more it felt natural. But the whole time I was with you, my biggest fear was that it wouldn't work, and I would lose one of the most important people in my life. Then, it happened. I lost you and it hurt Ted, my heart still hurts, not because we broke up but because we stopped."_

"_Stopped what?"_

"_Stopped everything. Stopped talking, stopped hanging out, stopped being honest with each other. When we were friends, I could tell you anything. I was never afraid of saying something stupid or not being interesting enough to hold your attention. It was great to have someone in my life who wouldn't judge me, someone loyal, someone who was honest with me and told me the truth no matter how angry it made me. I miss that version of us. I miss my friend."_

_He closed his eyes and absorbed her words she was right, that was their greatest loss. The friendship. Ted thought about how many times they stayed up all night talking about everything and sometimes nothing. She was the only friend he had that loved horror movies as much as he did, and she was also the only person who ever beat him at Name that Tune._

"_I miss you too Bea. It's not too late, our friendship isn't dead."_

"_According to my shoe it's on life support."_

"_Nah, maybe it's in ICU, but I expect it to make a full recovery."_

"_Full recovery huh? Has the FDA approved a new friendship repair drug? Is it something we can smoke? Please tell me it's something we can smoke?"_

_He smiled at her and laughed, she could always make him laugh._

"_Nope, just diet and exercise. A steady diet of the absolute truth and maybe a few exercises where we try to look at things from the other person's perspective."_

"_That was really corny, and it sounds like a lot of work."_

"_It is, it's hard work rebuilding a friendship like the one we had, it will require long hours of binge watching all the shows we missed by not talking to each other for two years."_

"_And the movies! I haven't seen a single horror movie since we broke up."_

"_You haven't watched a horror movie in two years? What are you doing Bea? You've missed so many great ones."_

"_You don't mind watching them, again do you? I know how much you hate watching movies you've already seen."_

"_Without you sitting next to me, yelling at the characters on the screen, it was like not watching a scary movie at all. Of course I'll watch them again with you."_

"_Then let's make a pact, right now to set aside time to re-kindle our phenomenal friendship. Agreed?"_

"_Agreed."_

_Ted was already off to a bad start. If he was sincere about re-starting their friendship, he would have told her about his heart, or how much he really hated watching re-runs House._

_Beatriz was also playing fast and loose with the truth. Before she could return to pure honesty she knew, at some point she would have to tell him about what happened with the League and that she had already binged watched the last season of How I Met Your Mother._

"_It will take a lot of work and a lot of time but having you as a friend, a real friend, is worth it. I'm calling for an imaginary toast, unfortunately, it must be imaginary because you drank all the booze last night. Hence forth-."_

"_Wait a minute, did you really just say hence?"_

"_It fits and honestly how often do you get the opportunity to use the word hence?"_

"_I can't argue with that, proceed."_

"_Hence forth, I will do whatever it takes to re-build our friendship."_

_When they pulled up to her building the driver got out and opened the door for Beatriz._

"_Well, she sighed. Time for the walk of shame." Before she could get out of the car Ted grabbed her arm._

"_Beatriz, I was uh hoping we could hang out again soon, maybe have dinner next time?"_

"_Sure Ted, the next time you're in town call me." She kissed him on the cheek and hopped out of the cab. Loneliness once again washed over him as he watched her disappear inside the building._

_As his plane sat on the runway Ted stared at his phone and toyed with the idea of calling her. I'm an idiot, he muttered to himself. It's way too soon. I need to give her some space. He set his phone to airplane mode and slipped it into his pocket._


End file.
